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10 Nov 2005 : Column 675W—continued
Fruit Growing
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much fruit was grown in England in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by type; and how much was destined for (a) export, broken down by country, and (b) the domestic market in each case. [24954]
Mr. Bradshaw: Production data from 2004 for fruit produced in England and Wales and the UK are summarised in table 1; production data are not available for England only. Information on exports taken from Customs relate only to exports from the UK rather than from England only so are shown against UK production figures. This shows the split of production between exports and produce available for the domestic market.
More detailed information on the destination countries for fruit exports as recorded in the overseas trade statistics are shown in table 2.
Notes:
1.Includes re-exports
2.Calculated as home production marketed less exports
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G8 Summit (Gleneagles)
Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will (a) place in the Library and (b) post on the departmental website papers submitted by (i) the United Kingdom, (ii)other national delegations and (iii) international organisations to the meeting convened by the United Kingdom presidency of the G8 to follow up the proposals from Gleneagles on climate change, held in London on 1 and 2 November. [25477]
Mr. Morley: There were no official papers submitted by the UK Government on the follow up to the 1 November Meeting of the Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development. The meeting was an informal process aimed at sharing ideas on how to implement the plan of action and tackle the problems of climate change, clean energy and sustainable development between countries. A set of draft conclusions on how the UK Government viewed the dialogue meeting can be found on the No. 10 website.
Peter Law: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken to implement the G8 Gleneagles plan of action; what steps have been taken in conjunction with (a) the World Bank, (b) the International Energy Agency and (c) other international bodies; and what jobs she expects to be created in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) Blaenau Gwent as a result of the plan. [25852]
Mr. Morley: The UK has started work on a survey of activities underway to implement the plan of action. Highlights so far include:
Consolidated support for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership. Defra will be providing a further £2.5 million pounds per year in 2006–07 and 2007–08. In addition, the FCO will be providing funding of £1 million in 2006–07 and 2007–08 giving a total of £6 million from the UK over the coming two years.
Increased co-operation on specific CCS projects with China and India, including EU-China, Canadian and US initiatives.
Active participation by G8 in Italian-led Global Bioenergy Partnership, due to be formally launched in 2006.
High level of support from industry and Government for the UK's Environmentally Friendly Vehicles conference in November 2005.
Since July, the IEA Governing Board approved the G8 work programme and we have managed to secure funding commitments of €3 million, 60 per cent. of the total funding required. The IEA work programme includes new work on efficiency in buildings, appliances and transport including outreach to the +5, as well as new links to the World Bank and Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum on best practice in coal-fired power stations and accelerating the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS).
The World Bank is working to create a framework for investment in cleaner energy technologies and in measures necessary for adaptation, involving the private sector and the regional development banks. Consultations on this framework are well underway with initial findings due to be presented to the World Bank Spring meetings next year.
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As a result of this increased investment, we can expect jobs to grow in the environmental technology industry in areas such as renewables and energy efficiency. Defra has not conducted any quantitative research on the creation of new jobs, nor any analysis of regional distribution.
Intensive Chicken Farms
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effects of intensive chicken rearing farms on those living nearby; and if she will make a statement. [24166]
Mr. Bradshaw: Local authorities, as part of their local air quality management duties under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995 are required to assess the effects of any local emission source against health-based national objectives for seven airborne pollutants. Local authority assessments are ongoing but, to date, no local authorities have identified the need to declare an air quality management area in the vicinity of intensive chicken rearing farms.
It is the duty of the local authority under section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to take reasonable steps to investigate complaints of any dust, steam, smell or other effluvia arising on industrial, trade or business premises and being prejudicial to health or a nuisance". If the investigating environmental health practitioner is satisfied that a statutory nuisance is present, the local authority must serve an abatement notice requiring that the activity causing the nuisance cease or is restricted. Those against whom the abatement notice has been served will have 21 days in which to appeal against the notice in the local magistrates court. If no appeal is made, or if the appeal is unsuccessful, the abatement notice will remain in force. The fine for non-compliance to an abatement notice is a maximum of £20,000 for industrial, trade or business premises upon summary conviction.
Under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 complainants can take private action through the local magistrates court in order to deal with odour nuisance. If such a case were successful, the court would order an abatement of the nuisance and may award costs to the complainant, although this is not a requirement.
Intensive livestock units will be subject to environmental regulation for the first time under the integrated pollution prevention and control ('IPPC') regime. IPPC will ensure that the environmental and health impacts of poultry farms housing more than 40,000 birds is assessed and minimised. The IPPC regime will also help to ensure a common basis for the prevention and control of pollution from intensive livestock units across Europe. The application window for intensive livestock units is from 1 November 2006 to January 2007.
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